A handful of companies dominate the web, with unprecedented access to our data. But there are many more ethical – and often distinctively European – alternatives to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, Apple and others.
Big tech's ills include social media harms, misinformation, polarisation, data misuse, environmental negligence and tax avoidance. Silicon Valley leaders cosying up to the Trump administration and worsening 'enshittification' – where products become less useful and more extractive – add to the discontent. 'While it's brilliant to have access to high-quality products for free, there is a trade-off – often of our personal data and privacy,' says Lisa Barber, tech editor at Which?
Europe is realising there are better alternatives: greener, more ethical, more independent and more respectful of privacy. For search, Google holds 90% of the market but alternatives exist. Ecosia, based in Berlin, uses profits to plant trees – nearly 250 million since 2009 – and commits 100% of profits to climate action. It produces more clean energy than it consumes and collects minimal data. However, it is powered by Bing and only makes money from ad clicks.
For a genuinely independent search engine, UK-based Mojeek offers 100% Google- and Bing-free results, with no tracking. French company Qwant is similarly privacy-oriented and now partners with Ecosia to build a new 'European search index'. For browsers, Mozilla Firefox is open-source and secure, while LibreWolf – developed on German nonprofit Codeberg – offers even more privacy. Opera, developed in Norway 30 years ago, is another viable option.
